City to demand 50m for Tevez

05 July 2011 10:00

Manchester City will demand a fee of around £50million for Carlos Tevez to get his wish and leave Eastlands.

City officials have responded to Tevez's latest attempt to sever ties with the club with a resigned shrug.

The Blues hierarchy were anticipating such a move and, given the bad blood which exists between Tevez's trusted advisor Kia Joorabchian and City chief executive Garry Cook and director of football Brian Marwood, it came as no surprise that it was delivered on the day a £7million transfer for Gael Clichy was completed and Partizan Belgrade skipper Stefan Savic arrived for a medical.

Whilst Tevez has cited a desire to spend more time with his two daughters and wife Vanesa as the major reason for his request to leave, City believe it is a smokescreen, despite their acceptance domestic life has not been easy for the South American during four years in Manchester.

There has been no official response to Monday night's announcement from a player currently appearing for Argentina at the Copa America, and it seems there is unlikely to be so just yet.

For City are relaxed in the knowledge that Tevez has three years remaining on a contract that is estimated to be worth in excess of £200,000-a-week. It means they have no reason to allow their skipper to leave on the cheap, and have absolutely no intention of doing so.

At a stroke, the figures involved cut down the number of potential suitors to around half a dozen, some of which have not shown any desire to bid for the player.

Barcelona for instance are currently haggling with Udinese over a price for City target Alexis Sanchez, whilst Chelsea have other areas of the field to address, having already splashed out £50million on Fernando Torres in January.

Both Milan clubs and Real Madrid might be more likely to do a deal and Juventus have previously expressed an interest, even if that would mean Tevez giving up the prospect of Champions League football once more, having spent two years trying to qualify for Europe's number one club competition with City.

It raises the potential for Tevez having to stay in the north-west, although, either way, there is unlikely to be a speedy resolution to an impasse it is difficult to see being resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.